The Enugu State Government has fired back at Olasijibomi Ogundele, Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Luxury Construction Limited, accusing him of defrauding the state of N5.7 billion meant for the construction of 22 smart green schools.
The reaction comes just hours after Ogundele, recently declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), appeared in a viral video weeping and denying allegations of corruption.
“I’m not a thief, I’m not a fugitive,” Ogundele insisted, attributing delays in the project to inflation and security challenges, including a hike in cement prices and attacks on his workers.
But the Enugu government has rejected his claims. In a strongly worded statement on Friday night, Commissioner for Information, Malachy Agbo, described the video as “theatrics and crocodile tears,” accusing the real estate developer of “premeditated fraud.”
According to the government, the contract—valued at N11.4 billion—was awarded to Sujimoto on July 2, 2024, with a six-month completion deadline.
Ogundele allegedly secured the deal with a bond from Jaiz Bank but diverted payments through a Zenith Bank account to avoid accountability.
The state said it paid Ogundele N5.7 billion upfront to speed up work, but site inspections revealed “minimal to no progress” nearly a year later. “None of his sites met the structural integrity of the projects as specified in the drawings,” Agbo said.
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He further alleged that Ogundele abandoned the sites, ignored government invitations for talks, and disappeared after collecting funds, forcing authorities to involve the EFCC.
A joint inspection with anti-graft operatives in May 2025 reportedly confirmed that most sites were either untouched or poorly executed.
“The government of Enugu will recover every kobo belonging to Ndi Enugu,” Agbo vowed, urging Nigerians to disregard Ogundele’s “emotional theatrics.”
Meanwhile, the EFCC has launched a search for the embattled developer, who faces charges of diversion of funds and money laundering.
The state government has reassigned the school projects to new contractors to ensure completion ahead of the September 2025 academic resumption.